Skoda Kushaq

Latest Update: Skoda has introduced a more affordable mid-spec variant of the Kushaq this festive season.

Price: The Skoda Kushaq is priced between Rs 11.59 lakh and Rs 19.69 lakh (ex-showroom Delhi).

Variants: Skoda is offering the Kushaq in three broad variants: Active, Ambition and Style. Besides that, it also gets “Monte Carlo” and “Matte Edition”, based on the top-spec Style trim and the “Onyx” edition, which is based on the base Active trim. The automaker has also released a new base-spec ‘Onyx Plus’ trim, priced below its regular counterpart.

Colours: The Skoda Kushaq is available in five exterior colours: Honey Orange, Tornado Red, Candy White, Carbon Steel and Brilliant Silver. Also, the Monte Carlo edition is available in two paint schemes, Tornado Red with Carbon Steel painted roof and Candy White with Carbon Steel painted roof. The Matte edition is finished in the Carbon Steel shade, and slots between the Style and Monte Carlo variants.

Seating Capacity: It has the capacity to seat up to five people.

Boot Space: The compact SUV has a boot space of 385 litres.

Engine and Transmission: Skoda has put two turbo-petrol engines on offer: a 1-litre, three-cylinder unit (115PS/178Nm) and a 1.5-litre, four-cylinder, turbocharged unit (150PS/250Nm). Both engines come mated to a 6-speed manual gearbox as standard. For automatic options, the former gets a 6-speed torque converter, and the latter comes with a 7-speed DCT (dual-clutch transmission).

Here are the claimed fuel efficiency figures:

• 1-litre turbo-petrol MT: 19.76kmpl
• 1-litre turbo-petrol AT: 18.09kmpl
• 1.5-litre turbo-petrol MT: 18.60kmpl
• 1.5-litre turbo-petrol DCT: 18.86kmpl

To boost fuel efficiency, the 1.5-litre engine uses cylinder deactivation technology to switch off two of the four cylinders when under less load.

Features: Its list of features comprises an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with connected car technology (10-inch in the Anniversary edition and Monte Carlo edition). Also, it gets an 8-inch digital driver display (Style and Monte Carlo), a single-pane sunroof, ventilated front seats, a 6-speaker sound system with a subwoofer and wireless phone charging.

Safety: On the safety front, it gets up to six airbags, ABS with EBD, electronic stability control (ESC), a tyre pressure monitoring system (TPMS) and a rear-view camera.

Rivals: The Skoda Kushaq squares off against the Hyundai Creta, Kia Seltos, MG Astor, Honda Elevate, Toyota Hyryder, Maruti Grand Vitara, Volkswagen Taigun and Citroen C3 Aircross. The Mahindra Scorpio Classic can be considered a rugged alternative.